JP6988558B2 - Image forming system, image forming device, mobile terminal and authentication program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to image forming systems, image forming devices, mobile terminals and authentication programs.

In recent years, communication is performed between an image forming apparatus (for example, an MFP) and a mobile terminal (for example, a smartphone), authentication information is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the image forming apparatus, and the image forming apparatus carries the mobile terminal based on the authentication information. An image forming system is known that can cooperate with a mobile terminal and an image forming apparatus (for example, transmission of job data) when the terminal is authenticated. As a method for communicating authentication information between the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal, there are NFC (Near-field communication) communication, BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication, and the like.

For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-73018 (Patent Document 1), a mobile terminal acquires information such as a MAC address, which is identification information, from an image forming apparatus by using BLE communication. Further, when the identification information acquired from the image forming apparatus and the information presented from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal match, the mobile terminal creates a profile for wireless LAN communication and wirelessly communicates with the image forming apparatus. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration for performing LAN communication.

Further, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-162366 (Patent Document 2), authentication information is transmitted from a mobile terminal to an image forming apparatus using BLE communication, and authentication processing is performed by the image forming apparatus based on the authentication information. , A configuration that allows wireless LAN communication with a mobile terminal when the result is OK is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-73018 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-162366

However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when performing BLE communication, a handshake process is required from the mobile terminal side to the image forming apparatus, and an operation step for authenticating the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal is performed. There was a problem that the number increased. Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is described that the authentication information is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the image forming apparatus by using the BLE communication, but how to specify the image forming apparatus for transmitting the authentication information. However, it is not disclosed whether communication will be established.

Further, when the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal are authenticated by BLE communication, the communication range of BLE communication is long. Therefore, if a plurality of image forming apparatus are installed in one area, an image not intended by the user is used. There was a risk that the forming device would be selected and authentication with the mobile terminal would start. Therefore, when performing authentication using BLE communication, it is necessary to select an image forming apparatus intended by the user. However, when it is necessary for the user to select an image forming apparatus, there arises a problem that the number of operation steps operated by the user on the mobile terminal side increases.

Furthermore, when the image forming device and the mobile terminal are authenticated by NFC communication, the communication range of NFC communication is shorter than that of BLE communication, and communication is possible only at a very short distance (about a dozen centimeters). Even if the forming device is installed in one area, there is no possibility that the user selects an unintended image forming device and starts authentication with the mobile terminal. However, some mobile terminals capable of NFC communication can perform two-way communication with the image forming apparatus, and some can perform one-way communication from the image forming apparatus. Therefore, in a mobile terminal capable of performing NFC communication in two-way communication, it is possible to authenticate with an image forming device, but in a mobile terminal capable of performing NFC communication in one-way communication, an image forming device is possible. There was a problem that it was not possible to authenticate with.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in a mobile terminal using short-range communication of one-way communication, authentication with an image forming apparatus is performed without increasing the number of operation steps. It is to provide an image forming system, an image forming apparatus, a mobile terminal and an authentication program capable of.

According to an embodiment, the image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus and a portable terminal capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus, and the image forming apparatus is capable of one-way communication from the image forming apparatus to the portable terminal. Bidirectional communication is possible between the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal with the first communication means for performing the first short-range wireless communication, and the communication range is longer than that of the first short-range wireless communication. Based on the authentication information received from the mobile terminal, the second communication means for performing distance wireless communication, the first storage means for storing the identification information of the image forming device, and the cooperation between the mobile terminal and the image forming device are permitted. A third communication including an authentication means, the first communication means and the second communication means transmit the identification information stored in the first storage means, and the mobile terminal performs the first short-range wireless communication. The third communication means includes the means, the fourth communication means for performing the second short-range wireless communication, and the second storage means for storing the authentication information, and the third communication means forms an image by the first short-range wireless communication. The identification information transmitted from the apparatus is received, the fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication, and the identification information is received by the third communication means. When the identification information matches the identification information, the authentication information stored in the second storage means is transmitted to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information.
..

Preferably, the fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication at predetermined intervals, and the second storage means is the fourth communication means. Stores the identification information received in.

Preferably, when the third communication means receives the identification information, the fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication.

Preferably, the authentication information transmitted by the fourth communication means is information for logging in to the image forming apparatus.

Preferably, a sub-terminal that cooperates with the mobile terminal is further provided, and the sub-terminal is a fifth communication means for performing the first short-range wireless communication and a fifth communication means, the image is obtained by the first short-range wireless communication. The fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication, and includes the transmitting means for transmitting the identification information received from the forming apparatus to the mobile terminal, and the identification information. Is the same as the identification information transmitted from the transmission means, the authentication information stored in the second storage means is transmitted to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information.

Preferably, the sub-terminal further includes a notification means for notifying the user, and the notification means indicates that the user does not store the authentication information when the authentication information is not stored in the second storage means. Notice.

Preferably, the first communication means is an IC tag capable of performing the first short-range wireless communication, and the image forming apparatus identifies the authentication request information stored in the IC tag by updating the firmware. Ru can change the information.

Preferably, the image forming apparatus is capable of communicating by the second communication means, and the first communication means and the second communication means are effective when the authentication permitting the cooperation between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is effective. Sends an IP address as identification information.

Preferably, when the mobile terminal receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the third communication means when the first display screen without processing the data is displayed, the second storage The authentication information stored in the means is transmitted from the fourth communication means to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information, and when the second display screen with data processing is displayed, the third communication When the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus is received by the means, the authentication information stored in the second storage means and the data to be processed are transmitted from the fourth communication means to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information. do.

According to a certain embodiment, an image forming apparatus capable of communicating with a mobile terminal, a first communication means for performing a first short-range wireless communication capable of one-way communication from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal, and an image. Identification of the image forming device with the second communication means for performing the second short-range wireless communication capable of bidirectional communication between the forming device and the mobile terminal and having a longer communication range than the first short-range wireless communication. A first communication means and a second communication means including a first storage means for storing information and an authentication means for permitting cooperation between the mobile terminal and an image forming apparatus based on authentication information received from the mobile terminal. Transmits the identification information stored in the first storage means, and the second communication means is the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the first short-range wireless communication in the mobile terminal and the second near. When the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the range wireless communication matches, the authentication information transmitted from the mobile terminal is received.

According to a certain embodiment, a mobile terminal capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus, and a first communication means for performing a first short-range wireless communication capable of one-way communication from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal, and an image. Bidirectional communication is possible between the forming device and the mobile terminal, and the second communication means for performing the second short-range wireless communication, which has a longer communication range than the first short-range wireless communication, and the mobile terminal and image formation. A storage means for storing authentication information for permitting cooperation with the device is provided, and the first communication means receives the identification information of the image forming device transmitted from the image forming device by the first short-range wireless communication. Then, when the second communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication and the identification information matches the identification information received by the first communication means, the second communication means receives the identification information. The authentication information stored in the storage means is transmitted to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information.

According to an embodiment, bidirectional communication between the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal is performed with the first communication means for performing the first short-range wireless communication capable of one-way communication from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal. Stores authentication information for permitting cooperation between a mobile terminal and an image forming apparatus with a second communication means that performs a second short-range wireless communication that is possible and has a longer communication range than the first short-range wireless communication. An authentication program executed by a processor of a mobile terminal including a storage means for receiving the identification information of the image forming apparatus transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the first short-range wireless communication, and the second step. Whether or not the step of receiving the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the short-range wireless communication and the identification information received by the second short-range wireless communication match the identification information received by the first short-range wireless communication. This includes a step of determining whether or not the identification information is matched, and a step of transmitting the authentication information stored in the storage means to the image forming apparatus having the matching identification information when the identification information matches.

In an image forming system, an image forming apparatus, a mobile terminal, and an authentication program according to an embodiment, authentication between the portable terminal and the image forming apparatus can be performed without increasing the number of operation steps.

It is a figure explaining the configuration example of the image formation system according to Embodiment 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows the appearance of the MFP in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of the hardware composition of the MFP in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the smartphone in Embodiment 1. It is a sequence diagram for demonstrating the authentication process of the MFP and the smartphone in Embodiment 1. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the authentication process in the smartphone in Embodiment 1. It is a flowchart for demonstrating another authentication process in a smartphone in Embodiment 1. It is a figure explaining the configuration example of the image formation system according to Embodiment 2. It is a sequence diagram for demonstrating the authentication process between the MFP and the smartphone in Embodiment 2. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the authentication process in the smartphone in Embodiment 2 of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the authentication process with a smartphone in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating another authentication process in a smartphone in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the display operation part of the smartphone in Embodiment 3 of this figure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will not be repeated.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming system according to the first embodiment. In a certain embodiment, it is an image forming system in which a plurality of MFPs 100 and 100A are installed in one area and can be linked with a smartphone 200. As one of the functions for linking the MFPs 100 and 100A with the smartphone 200, there is an authentication function using the smartphone 200. When the user selects the MFPs 100 and 100A to be authenticated from the smartphone 200, the user can log in to the MFPs 100 and 100A and can operate the MFPs 100 and 100A without standing in front of the MFPs 100 and 100A.

The MFPs 100 and 100A have NFC (Near-field communication) communication N and BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication B as short-range communication capable of communicating with the smartphone 200. Since the BLE communication B has a long communicable distance (for example, about a dozen meters), if the smartphone 200 is authenticated using only the BLE communication B, the user may select an unintended MFP. Further, in order to allow the user to select the intended MFP, the intended MFP is selected from among the MFPs (in the example of FIG. 1, MFPs 100 and 100A) in which the user can authenticate the smartphone 200 using the BLE communication B. It is necessary to perform an operation to select, which increases the number of operation steps of the user.

Therefore, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, it is possible to authenticate the smartphone 200 without increasing the number of operation steps by using the NFC communication N. NFC communication has a shorter communicable distance than BLE communication and can communicate only at a very short distance (about a dozen centimeters). Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 1, communication can be performed only with the MFP 100 holding the smartphone 200. Further, in smartphones that can use NFC communication N, there are some that can perform two-way communication with the MFP and some that can only perform one-way communication from the MFP to the smartphone, depending on the OS (Operating System).

In the image forming system according to the first embodiment, a system capable of authenticating a smartphone even if the smartphone can only perform one-way communication from the MFP to the smartphone will be described. Therefore, the smartphone 200 described below will be described as being capable of only one-way communication from the MFP to the smartphone. Of course, in the image forming system, it is possible to authenticate the smartphone even by using a smartphone that communicates bidirectionally with the MFP.

Specifically, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the MAC address (identification information) is transmitted from the MFP 100 to the smartphone 200 by NFC communication N by holding the smartphone 200 over the MFP 100. Further, the smartphone 200 searches for an MFP within a range that can be communicated by BLE communication B (BLE search), and receives MAC addresses from the searched MFPs 100 and 100A, respectively. The smartphone 200 transmits authentication information by BLE communication B to the MFP 100 in which the MAC address received by NFC communication N and the MAC address received by BLE communication B match. Here, the authentication information is information for logging in to the MFP 100, for example. The MFP 100 authenticates the smartphone 200 based on the authentication information received from the smartphone 200. When the MFP 100 authenticates the smartphone 200, the two can be linked, and for example, the image of the smartphone 200 can be printed by the MFP 100.

Next, the image forming system according to the first embodiment will be described in more detail. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the appearance of the MFP 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of the hardware configuration of the MFP 100 according to the first embodiment. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the MFP 100 includes a document reading unit 110 for reading a document, an image forming unit 120, and an operation panel 160 as a user interface.

The document reading unit 110 includes a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), optically reads the document transported from the automatic document transport device, and outputs an image as electronic data.

The image forming unit 120 is a laser printer, and visualizes an image output by the document reading unit 110 or an image transmitted from a smartphone 200 on a recording medium such as paper supplied from a paper feeding unit. In the case of color printing, the image forming unit 120 forms an image with four color toners of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. The image forming unit 120 may be an inkjet printer. The operation panel 160 includes a display unit and an operation unit.

Further, the MFP 100 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, an external interface (I / F) unit 130, a BLE communication unit 140, and an NFC communication unit 150. The CPU 101 is connected to a document reading unit 110, an image forming unit 120, an operation panel 160, and the like, and controls the entire MFP 100.

The ROM 102 stores a program executed by the CPU 101 or data necessary for executing the program. Further, the MAC address of the MFP is stored in the ROM 102. The RAM 103 is used as a work area when the CPU 101 executes a program. Further, the RAM 103 temporarily stores the reading data (image data) continuously sent from the document reading unit 110.

The communication I / F unit 130 is an interface for connecting the MFP 100 to the network. The CPU 101 communicates with a computer or a smartphone connected to the network via the communication I / F unit 130, and transmits / receives data. The communication I / F unit 130 can be connected to, for example, another device (for example, a smartphone 200) and can receive job data for printing from the other device. Further, the communication I / F unit 130 can communicate with a computer connected to the Internet via a network. The communication I / F unit 130 may perform communication by wireless LAN communication.

The BLE communication unit 140 transmits advertising data (Advertising Data) from the BLE chip built in the MFP 100, and the transmitted data includes information such as the MAC address of the MFP 100. The NFC communication unit 150 performs short-range communication with the smartphone 200 using the IC tag 151 built in the MFP 100. Information of the authentication request flag (authentication request information) and the MAC address (identification information) of the MFP 100 is stored in the IC tag 151. The IC tag 151 can change the internal information (information such as the authentication request flag and the MAC address) of the IC tag 151 by updating the firmware of the MFP 100.

The medium for storing the program executed by the CPU 101 is not limited to a CD-ROM, but is an optical disk (MO (Magnetic Optical Disc) / MD (Mini Disc) / DVD (Digital Versaille Disc)), an IC card, an optical card, and a mask ROM. , EPROM (Erasable Project ROM), EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), or the like.

Further, the program executed by the CPU 101 is not limited to the program recorded on the CD-ROM, and the program stored in the auxiliary storage device (for example, HDD) may be loaded into the RAM 103 and executed. In this case, even if another computer connected to the network via the communication I / F unit 130 rewrites the program stored in the auxiliary storage device of the MFP 100, or adds a new program and writes it. good. Further, the MFP 100 may download a program from another computer connected to the network via the communication I / F unit 130 and store the program in the auxiliary storage device. The program referred to here includes not only a program that can be directly executed by the CPU 101, but also a source program, a compressed program, an encrypted program, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the smartphone 200 according to the first embodiment. With reference to FIG. 4, the smartphone 200 displays a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, an auxiliary storage device 204, an external interface (I / F) unit 210, a BLE communication unit 220, and an NFC communication unit 230. It includes an operation unit 240. The CPU 201 and each of the ROM 202, the RAM 203, the auxiliary storage device 204, the external I / F unit 210, the BLE communication unit 220, the NFC communication unit 230, and the display operation unit 240 are connected to each other.

The CPU 201 controls the operation of the entire smartphone 200. The CPU 201 executes the program stored in the ROM 202. The ROM 202 stores a control program or the like executed by the CPU 201. The RAM 203 is a working memory of the CPU 201. The auxiliary storage device 204 stores information such as image data, programs of various applications, and print conditions set through a print setting application. Further, the auxiliary storage device 204 stores the MAC address received by the BLE communication unit 220 or the NFC communication unit 230. The MAC address received by the BLE communication unit 220 or the NFC communication unit 230 may be stored in a storage unit different from the auxiliary storage device 204, for example, RAM 203.

The communication I / F unit 210 is an interface for connecting the smartphone 200 to the network. The CPU 201 communicates with a computer or an MFP connected to the network via the communication I / F unit 210, and transmits / receives data. The communication I / F unit 210 can be connected to, for example, another device (for example, the MFP 100) and can transmit job data for printing to the other device. Further, the communication I / F unit 210 can communicate with a computer connected to the Internet via a network. The communication I / F unit 210 communicates by wireless LAN communication.

The BLE communication unit 220 can receive advertising data broadcastly transmitted from the BLE chip built in the MFP 100, and can also transmit information such as authentication information to the MFP 100. The NFC communication unit 230 communicates with the IC tag 151 built in the MFP 100, and reads and acquires the information in the IC tag 151. Specifically, the smartphone 200 acquires the identification information (MAC address, etc.) of the MFP 100 from the IC tag 151. The NFC communication unit 230 can transmit information from another device to the smartphone, but cannot transmit information from the smartphone to the other device.

The operation display unit 240 detects a touch operation from the user. Further, the operation display unit 240 displays various information to the user.

Next, the authentication process performed between the MFP 100 and the smartphone 200 will be described. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining the authentication process between the MFP 100 and the smartphone 200 in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the authentication process on the smartphone 200 in the first embodiment. First, the MFP 100 broadcasts advertising data from the BLE chip, and since the transmitted data includes information such as the MAC address of the MFP 100, the CPU 201 of the smartphone 200 is previously BLE-communicated from the MFP 100. Acquires and stores the transmitted MAC address (step S101).

The CPU 201 determines whether or not 5 seconds have passed since the MAC address was acquired from the MFP 100 (step S102). When 5 seconds have passed since the MAC address was acquired from the MFP 100 (YES in step S102), the CPU 201 returns the process to step S101 and acquires and stores the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by BLE communication. That is, the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by BLE communication every predetermined period (for example, 5 seconds). As a result, the smartphone 200 can grasp the MFP that can communicate with each other before the authentication, and the process of acquiring the MAC address of the MFP at the time of the authentication becomes unnecessary.

If 5 seconds have not passed since the MAC address was acquired from the MFP 100 (NO in step S102), the CPU 201 holds the NFC communication unit 230 of the smartphone 200 over the IC tag 151 built in the MFP 100 from the IC tag 151. It is determined whether or not the MAC address has been acquired by NFC communication (step S103). If the MAC address has not been acquired by NFC communication (NO in step S103), the CPU 201 returns the process to step S102.

On the other hand, when the MAC address is acquired by NFC communication (YES in step S103), the CPU 201 determines whether or not the MAC address stored in advance matches the MAC address acquired by NFC communication (step S104). ). That is, in the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 5, the smartphone 200 has acquired the MAC address from the MFP 100 by NFC communication. If the MAC addresses do not match (NO in step S104), the CPU 201 searches for the MFP within the communicable range by BLE communication (BLE search), and acquires and stores the MAC address from the searched MFP (step S105). .. That is, in the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 5, the smartphone 200 has acquired the MAC address from the MFP 100 by BLE communication.

The CPU 201 determines whether or not the MAC address acquired by the BLE search and the MAC address acquired by the NFC communication match (step S106). When the MAC addresses match (YES in steps S104 and S106), the CPU 201 transmits authentication information to the MFP 100 whose MAC addresses match in BLE communication (step S107). That is, in the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 5, the smartphone 200 has transmitted the authentication information to the MFP 100 by BLE communication.

On the other hand, when the MAC addresses do not match (NO in step S106), the CPU 201 displays on the display operation unit 240 that the authentication has failed and notifies the user (step S108). The CPU 201 ends the authentication process after transmitting the authentication information to the MFP 100 in step S107 or notifying the authentication failure in step S108.

In the authentication process shown in FIG. 6, it is premised that the smartphone 200 acquires and stores the MAC address transmitted from the MFP by BLE communication in advance before the authentication with the MFP. However, the configuration may be such that the MAC address is acquired by BLE communication from the MFP when the MAC address is acquired by NFC communication by holding the smartphone over the MFP. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining another authentication process in the smartphone 200 according to the first embodiment.

First, the CPU 201 holds the NFC communication unit 230 of the smartphone 200 over the IC tag 151 built in the MFP 100, and acquires the MAC address from the IC tag 151 by NFC communication (step S201). Taking the opportunity of acquiring the MAC address by NFC communication, the CPU 201 searches for an MFP within a communicable range by BLE communication (BLE search), and acquires and stores the MAC address from the searched MFP (step S202). ..

The CPU 201 determines whether or not the MAC address acquired by the BLE search and the MAC address acquired by the NFC communication match (step S203). When the MAC addresses match (YES in step S203), the CPU 201 transmits authentication information to the MFP 100 whose MAC addresses match in BLE communication (step S204).

On the other hand, when the MAC addresses do not match (NO in step S203), the CPU 201 displays on the display operation unit 240 that the authentication has failed and notifies the user (step S205). The CPU 201 ends the authentication process after transmitting the authentication information to the MFP 100 in step S204 or notifying the authentication failure in step S205.

As described above, the image forming system according to the first embodiment includes an MFP 100 and a smartphone 200 capable of communicating with the MFP 100. The MFP 100 is between the NFC communication unit 150 (first communication means) that performs NFC communication N (first short-range wireless communication) capable of one-way communication from the MFP 100 to the smartphone 200, and the MFP 100 and the smartphone 200. It includes a BLE communication unit 140 (second communication means) that performs BLE communication B (second short-range wireless communication) capable of two-way communication. The MFP 100 is a CPU 101 corresponding to a ROM 102 (first storage means) for storing the MAC address (identification information) of the MFP 100 and an authentication means for permitting cooperation between the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 based on the authentication information received from the smartphone 200. And include. The NFC communication unit 150 and the BLE communication unit 140 transmit the MAC address of the MFP 100. The smartphone 200 includes an NFC communication unit 230 (third communication means) that performs NFC communication N, a BLE communication unit 220 (fourth communication means) that performs BLE communication B, and an auxiliary storage device 204 (auxiliary storage device 204) that stores authentication information. Second storage means) and. The NFC communication unit 230 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the NFC communication N, the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B, and the MAC address is the NFC communication unit 230. If it matches the MAC address received in, the authentication information stored in the auxiliary storage device 204 is transmitted to the MFP 100 having the same MAC address.

As a result, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 are authenticated without performing an operation of selecting the MFP intended by the user on the smartphone 200, that is, without increasing the number of operation steps. be able to.

Further, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B every predetermined period (for example, 5 seconds) and performs auxiliary storage. The device 204 may store the MAC address received by the BLE communication unit 220. As a result, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the MAC address of the MFP can be acquired and stored in advance by the BLE communication B.

Further, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, when the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address in the NFC communication unit 230, the BLE communication unit B may receive the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100. As a result, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the authentication process can be started when the MAC address is received by the NFC communication unit 230.

Further, in the authentication program executed by the CPU 201 of the smartphone 200 according to the first embodiment, the step of receiving the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the NFC communication N and the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B are set. The step of receiving, the step of determining whether or not the MAC address received by BLE communication B matches the MAC address received by NFC communication N, and the authentication stored in the auxiliary storage device 204 when the MAC addresses match. It includes a step of transmitting information to the MFP 100 having the same MAC address. By executing the authentication program, the smartphone 200 can authenticate with the MFP 100 without performing an operation of selecting the MFP intended by the user on the smartphone 200, that is, without increasing the number of operation steps.

<Embodiment 2>
In the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the smartphone 200 is used to authenticate to the MFP 100, but in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, the MFP is authenticated using a terminal linked with the smartphone. The configuration to be performed will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming system according to the second embodiment. In a certain embodiment, it is an image forming system in which a plurality of MFPs 100 and 100A are installed in one area and can be linked with a smartphone 200 via a smart watch 300. According to the second embodiment, the MFP 100 can authenticate the smartphone 200 simply by holding the smart watch 300 over the MFP 100. The smartphone 200 and the smart watch 300 cooperate by transmitting and receiving data via BLE communication B. Of course, the smartphone 200 and the smart watch 300 may send and receive data by wireless LAN communication to cooperate with each other.

Specifically, in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, the MAC address (identification information) is transmitted from the MFP 100 to the smart watch 300 by NFC communication N by holding the smart watch 300 over the MFP 100. The MAC address is transmitted to the smartphone 200 by the smart watch 300 via BLE communication B. Further, the smartphone 200 searches for an MFP within a range that can be communicated by BLE communication B (BLE search), and receives MAC addresses from the searched MFPs 100 and 100A, respectively. The smartphone 200 transmits authentication information by BLE communication B to the MFP 100 in which the MAC address received by NFC communication N and the MAC address received by BLE communication B match. Here, the authentication information is information for logging in to the MFP 100, for example. The MFP 100 authenticates the smartphone 200 based on the authentication information received from the smartphone 200. When the MFP 100 authenticates the smartphone 200, the two can be linked, and for example, the image of the smartphone 200 can be printed by the MFP 100. Although the configuration of the smartphone 200 is not shown, the CPU, ROM, RAM, auxiliary storage device, external interface (I / F) unit, and the external interface (I / F) unit are the same as the configuration of the smartphone 200 shown in FIG. It includes a BLE communication unit, an NFC communication unit, and a display operation unit.

Next, the authentication process performed between the MFP 100 and the smartphone 200 in the image forming system according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram for explaining the authentication process between the MFP 100 and the smartphone 200 in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the authentication process on the smartphone 200 in the second embodiment.

First, the CPU 201 receives and stores the MAC address transmitted by the BLE communication B from the smart watch 300 (step S301). The MAC address is transmitted from the MFP 100 to the smart watch 300 when the NFC communication unit of the smart watch 300 is held over the IC tag 151 built in the MFP 100. Taking the opportunity of acquiring the MAC address transmitted from the smart watch 300, the CPU 201 searches for an MFP within a communicable range by BLE communication (BLE search), and acquires and stores the MAC address from the searched MFP. (Step S302).

The CPU 201 determines whether or not the MAC address acquired by the BLE search matches the MAC address received by the NFC communication (step S303). If the MAC addresses match (YES in step S303), the CPU 201 determines whether or not the authentication information is registered (step S304). When the authentication information is registered (YES in step S304), the CPU 201 transmits the authentication information to the MFP 100 having the same MAC address by BLE communication (step S307). On the other hand, when the authentication information is not registered (NO in step S304), the CPU 201 displays on the display operation unit 240 that the authentication information is not registered, notifies the user, and prompts the user to input the authentication information. (Step S305). The CPU 201 accepts the input of the authentication information (step S306), and transmits the authentication information to the MFP 100 having the same MAC address by BLE communication (step S307).

If the MAC addresses do not match in step S303 (NO in step S303), the CPU 201 displays on the display operation unit 240 that the authentication has failed and notifies the user (step S308). The CPU 201 ends the authentication process after transmitting the authentication information to the MFP 100 in step S307 or after notifying the authentication failure in step S308.

As described above, the image forming system according to the second embodiment further includes a smart watch 300 that cooperates with the smartphone 200. The smart watch 300 includes an NFC communication unit (fifth communication means) that performs NFC communication N, and a BLE communication unit (transmission means) that transmits the MAC address received from the MFP 100 by the NFC communication unit to the smartphone 200. .. When the BLE communication unit 220 (fourth communication means) receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B and the MAC address matches the MAC address received by the NFC communication unit 230, the auxiliary storage device. The authentication information stored in 204 is transmitted to the MFP 100 having the same MAC address.

As a result, in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 can be authenticated simply by holding the smart watch 300 over the MFP 100. That is, it is possible to authenticate the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 without performing an operation of selecting the MFP intended by the user on the smart watch 300 or the smartphone 200 (without increasing the number of operation steps). The sub-terminal linked with the smartphone 200 is not limited to the smart watch 300, and any terminal may be used as long as it can be linked with the smartphone 200.

Further, the smartphone 200 further includes a display operation unit 240 (notification means) for notifying the user (user). When the authentication information is not stored in the auxiliary storage device 204, the display operation unit 240 notifies the user that the authentication information is not stored. As a result, even if the user forgets to input the authentication information, the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 can be authenticated by inputting the authentication information.

Further, in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, when the NFC communication unit 230 receives the MAC address, the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B. As a result, in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, the authentication process can be started when the MAC address is received by the NFC communication unit 230.

Further, in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B every predetermined period (for example, 5 seconds), and performs auxiliary storage. The device 204 may store the MAC address received by the BLE communication unit 220. As a result, in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, the MAC address of the MFP can be acquired and stored in advance by the BLE communication B.

<Embodiment 3>
In the image forming system according to the third embodiment, the smartphone can be authenticated simply by holding the smartphone over the MFP, and further, the job registered in the MFP and the display operation unit 240 of the smartphone are displayed. You can print photos and documents that you have.

Specifically, in the image forming system according to the third embodiment, the MAC address (identification information) is transmitted from the MFP 100 to the smartphone 200 by NFC communication N by holding the smartphone 200 over the MFP 100. Further, the smartphone 200 searches for an MFP within a range that can be communicated by BLE communication B (BLE search), and receives MAC addresses from the searched MFPs 100 and 100A, respectively. The smartphone 200 transmits authentication information by BLE communication B to the MFP 100 in which the MAC address received by NFC communication N and the MAC address received by BLE communication B match. Here, the authentication information is information for logging in to the MFP 100, for example. When the authentication information is transmitted to the MFP 100, in a certain form, it becomes possible to print a job registered in the MFP 100. In another form, data such as photographs and documents displayed on the display operation unit 240 of the smartphone 200 can be transmitted to the MFP 100 and printed.

Next, the authentication process performed between the MFP 100 and the smartphone 200 in the image forming system according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the authentication process on the smartphone 200 in the third embodiment.

First, the CPU 201 acquires and stores the MAC address by NFC communication (step S401). Taking the opportunity of acquiring the MAC address by NFC communication, the CPU 201 searches for an MFP within a communicable range by BLE communication (BLE search), and acquires and stores the MAC address from the searched MFP (step S402). ..

The CPU 201 determines whether or not the MAC address acquired by the BLE search and the MAC address acquired by the NFC communication match (step S403). When the MAC addresses match (YES in step S403), the CPU 201 transmits the authentication information by BLE communication to the MFP 100 whose MAC addresses match (step S404). The CPU 201 receives the presence / absence of job registration from the MFP 100 (step S405), and determines whether or not the job is registered in the MFP 100 (step S406).

If the job is registered (YES in step S406), the authentication process ends. On the other hand, when the job is not registered (NO in step S406), the CPU 201 receives the IP address by BLE communication from the MFP 100 having the same MAC address (step S407), and ends the authentication process. By receiving the IP address from the MFP 100, the smartphone 200 can perform wireless LAN communication with the MFP 100, and can transmit a large amount of data such as data to be printed.

If the MAC addresses do not match in step S403 (NO in step S403), the CPU 201 displays on the display operation unit 240 that the authentication has failed and notifies the user (step S408), and ends the authentication process.

Next, another authentication process performed between the MFP 100 and the smartphone 200 in the image forming system according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining another authentication process on the smartphone according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display operation unit of the smartphone according to the third embodiment.

First, the CPU 201 acquires and stores the MAC address by NFC communication (step S501). Taking the opportunity of acquiring the MAC address by NFC communication, the CPU 201 searches for an MFP within a communicable range by BLE communication (BLE search), and acquires and stores the MAC address from the searched MFP (step S502). ..

The CPU 201 determines whether or not the MAC address acquired by the BLE search and the MAC address acquired by the NFC communication match (step S503). When the MAC addresses match (YES in step S503), the CPU 201 transmits authentication information by BLE communication to the MFP 100 with the matching MAC addresses (step S504), and the screen displayed on the display operation unit 240 is displayed. It is determined whether or not the screen is a HOME screen (step S505).

As shown in FIG. 13A, the HOME screen is a screen displayed on the display operation unit 240 of the smartphone 200, and various applications executed on the smartphone 200 are displayed by the icon H. If the screen displayed on the display operation unit 240 is a HOME screen (YES in step S505), the authentication process ends.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13B, when the screen displayed on the display operation unit 240 is not the HOME screen but a photo P, a document, or the like is displayed (NO in step S505), the CPU 201 is set. The IP address is acquired by BLE communication from the MFP 100 having the same MAC address (step S506). The CPU 201 performs wireless LAN communication with the MFP 100 based on the IP address acquired from the MFP 100, transmits job data by the wireless LAN communication (step S507), and ends the authentication process.

If the MAC addresses do not match in step S503 (NO in step S503), the CPU 201 displays on the display operation unit 240 that the authentication has failed and notifies the user (step S508), and ends the authentication process.

As described above, in the image forming system according to the third embodiment, the MFP 100 can communicate with the BLE communication unit 140 (second communication means), and the authentication that permits the cooperation between the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 is effective. If the above is the case, the BLE communication unit 140 transmits the IP address as the identification information. As a result, the smartphone 200 can perform wireless LAN communication with the MFP 100, and can transmit a large amount of data such as data to be printed.

Further, in the image forming system according to the third embodiment, when the smartphone 200 displays the HOME screen (first display screen) without data processing, the NFC communication unit 230 (third communication). When the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 is received by the means), the identification information matches the authentication information stored in the auxiliary storage device 204 (second storage means) from the BLE communication unit 220 (fourth communication means). Send to MFP100,
Auxiliary storage when the NFC communication unit 230 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 while the screen (second display screen) on which the photo P or document that involves data processing is displayed is displayed. The authentication information stored in the device 204 and the data to be processed are transmitted from the BLE communication unit 220 to the MFP 100 having the same identification information. As a result, when an output job is registered in the MFP 100, or when a photograph or a document is displayed on the display operation unit 240 of the smartphone 200, the data can be printed. That is, by holding the smartphone 200 over the MFP 100, the smartphone 200 can be authenticated and job data can be printed.

Further, in the image forming system according to the third embodiment, when the NFC communication unit 230 receives the MAC address, the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B. As a result, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the authentication process can be started when the MAC address is received by the NFC communication unit 230.

Further, in the image forming system according to the third embodiment, the BLE communication unit 220 receives the MAC address transmitted from the MFP 100 by the BLE communication B every predetermined period (for example, 5 seconds), and performs auxiliary storage. The device 204 may store the MAC address received by the BLE communication unit 220. As a result, in the image forming system according to the first embodiment, the MAC address of the MFP can be acquired and stored in advance by the BLE communication B.

Further, in the image forming system according to the third embodiment, the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 may be authenticated by holding the smart watch 300 over the MFP 100 as in the second embodiment. As a result, the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 can be authenticated without performing an operation of selecting the MFP intended by the user on the smartphone 200, that is, without increasing the number of operation steps.

Further, in the image forming system according to the third embodiment, when the authentication information is not registered in the smartphone 200 as in the second embodiment, the user may be notified to that effect. .. As a result, even if the user forgets to input the authentication information, the smartphone 200 and the MFP 100 can be authenticated by inputting the authentication information.

The various processes described above are supposed to be realized by one CPU, but are not limited to this. These various functions include at least one processor-like semiconductor integrated circuit, at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and at least one FPGA (Field Programmable). It can be implemented by a Gate Array) and / or a circuit with other arithmetic functions.

These circuits may perform the various processes described above by reading one or more instructions from at least one tangible readable medium.

Such media take the form of magnetic media (eg, hard disks), optical media (eg, compact discs (CDs), DVDs), volatile memory, and any type of memory, such as non-volatile memory. It is not limited to the form.

Volatile memory may include DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The non-volatile memory may include ROM, NVRAM.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

100, 100A MFP, 200 smartphone, 300 smart watch, 101,201 CPU, 102 ROM, 140,220 BLE communication unit, 150,230 NFC communication unit, 151 IC tag, 204 auxiliary storage device, 240 display operation unit.

Claims (12)

An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a mobile terminal capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus is
A first communication means for performing a first short-range wireless communication capable of one-way communication from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal,
A second communication means capable of bidirectional communication between the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal and performing a second short-range wireless communication having a longer communicable distance than the first short-range wireless communication.
A first storage means for storing the identification information of the image forming apparatus, and
Including an authentication means for permitting cooperation between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus based on the authentication information received from the mobile terminal.
The first communication means and the second communication means transmit the identification information stored in the first storage means, and the identification information is transmitted.
The mobile terminal is
With the third communication means for performing the first short-range wireless communication,
With the fourth communication means for performing the second short-range wireless communication,
Including a second storage means for storing the authentication information.
The third communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the first short-range wireless communication, and receives the identification information.
The fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication, and the identification information matches the identification information received by the third communication means. An image forming system that transmits the authentication information stored in the second storage means to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information. The fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication at predetermined intervals.
The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the second storage means stores the identification information received by the fourth communication means. The second aspect of claim 2, wherein the fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication when the identification information is received by the third communication means. Image formation system. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the authentication information transmitted by the fourth communication means is information for logging in to the image forming apparatus. Further equipped with a sub terminal that cooperates with the mobile terminal,
The sub terminal is
With the fifth communication means for performing the first short-range wireless communication,
The fifth communication means includes a transmission means for transmitting the identification information received from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal.
The fourth communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication, and when the identification information matches the identification information transmitted from the transmission means, the fourth communication means receives the identification information. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the authentication information stored in the second storage means is transmitted to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information. The mobile terminal further includes a notification means for notifying the user.
The notification means is any one of claims 1 to 5, which notifies the user that the authentication information is not stored when the authentication information is not stored in the second storage means. The image forming system described in the section. The first communication means is an IC tag capable of performing the first short-range wireless communication.
Wherein the image forming apparatus, by updating the firmware, the IC tag Ru can change the stored authentication request information and the identification information, the image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. When the image forming apparatus can communicate by the second communication means and authentication for permitting cooperation between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is effective, the image forming apparatus is used.
The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second communication means transmits an IP address as identification information. The mobile terminal is
When the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus is received by the third communication means when the first display screen without data processing is displayed, it is stored in the second storage means. The authentication information is transmitted from the fourth communication means to the image forming apparatus whose identification information matches.
When the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus is received by the third communication means while the second display screen accompanied by data processing is displayed, the identification information stored in the second storage means is said to be received. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the authentication information and the data to be processed are transmitted from the fourth communication means to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information. An image forming device that can communicate with a mobile terminal.
A first communication means for performing a first short-range wireless communication capable of one-way communication from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal,
A second communication means capable of bidirectional communication between the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal and performing a second short-range wireless communication having a longer communicable distance than the first short-range wireless communication.
A first storage means for storing the identification information of the image forming apparatus, and
Including an authentication means for permitting cooperation between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus based on the authentication information received from the mobile terminal.
The first communication means and the second communication means transmit the identification information stored in the first storage means, and the identification information is transmitted.
The second communication means is the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the first short-range wireless communication and the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication in the mobile terminal. An image forming apparatus that receives the authentication information transmitted from the mobile terminal when the identification information matches. A mobile terminal that can communicate with an image forming device.
A first communication means for performing a first short-range wireless communication capable of one-way communication from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal,
A second communication means capable of bidirectional communication between the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal and performing a second short-range wireless communication having a longer communicable distance than the first short-range wireless communication.
A storage means for storing authentication information for permitting cooperation between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is provided.
The first communication means receives the identification information of the image forming apparatus transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the first short-range wireless communication, and receives the identification information of the image forming apparatus.
The second communication means receives the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication, and the identification information matches the identification information received by the first communication means. A portable terminal that transmits the authentication information stored in the storage means to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information. A first communication means for performing a first short-range wireless communication capable of one-way communication from an image forming apparatus to a mobile terminal,
A second communication means capable of bidirectional communication between the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal and performing a second short-range wireless communication having a longer communicable distance than the first short-range wireless communication.
An authentication program executed by a processor of the mobile terminal, which comprises a storage means for storing authentication information for permitting cooperation between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus.
The step of receiving the identification information of the image forming apparatus transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the first short-range wireless communication, and the step of receiving the identification information of the image forming apparatus.
The step of receiving the identification information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by the second short-range wireless communication, and
A step of determining whether or not the identification information received by the second short-range wireless communication matches the identification information received by the first short-range wireless communication, and
An authentication program including a step of transmitting the authentication information stored in the storage means to the image forming apparatus having the same identification information when the identification information matches.

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